To Protect Him
by Tate Icasa
Summary: Everything I've done, I've done to protect you. Remember this, Zuko.' The next morning, she was gone. This is the story of Ursa, wife of Ozai, mother of Zuko and Azula.
1. Book One: Part One

Ursa wrapped her cloak around her tightly against the chill of the night. She walked slowly, as she usually did, down the center of the well-trodden road, looking around her at the soft light in the houses. Ten years she'd been married to the Firelords second son, and between national politics and her two children, the only time she got any peace was under the stars. She wouldn't trade that for anything, she knew, but sometimes, in the dead of the night, she wondered what it would be like to be an average citizen.

She leaned against the rail of the bridge and sighed, looking out at the shimmering reflection of the moon on the water. She helt inexplicably restless this particular night, as if something were moving just out of her line of sight. The feeling had been building all day, and it was making her exceedingly jittery. She leaned over and scooped up a handful of rocks, flicking them all out onto the water at once. There was noise, seemingly from below her, that sounded human in origin.

Curiously, she lit a torch and hopped off the bridge onto the semi-firm bank of the stream. Holding the torch in front of her, she began to walk, making her footsteps as light as possible.

"Hello?" She called softly. "Is someone there?"

There was no response, but something told her to continue of, so she did. Eventually, she found herself under the bridge, completely out of view of the sky or any of the houses above. There was a sort of cavern dug into the side of the land, like a lean-to without a ceiling. In plain sight was what appeared to be the remains of a small cooking-fire. Without bothering to question why it was there, Ursa tossed her torch on top of it and lit the cavern up.

It didn't take her long to find the source of the sound she had heard, a small form huddled into a corner of the cavern.

"Are you. . .are you alive?" She managed to ask.

There was a muffled reply that she took as an affirmation. That was all she needed to regain her composure.

"Come on out of there." She coaxed.

The figure lifted its face up. Light brown eyes stared at her for a moment from behind tangled brown hair, then the face lowered again and the figure went immobile. Ursa sighed.

"Alright, don't come out." She moved to sit next to the figure, which she had identified as female by the shape of the face. "Are you alright?"

The figure made no attempt to reply to the question.

"Should I take that as a no?"

The figure made a sound.

"Have you eaten yet?" Ursa asked.

"No." The figure said hoarsely, face raised just enough to leave the mouth unhindered for speech.

Ursa met her eyes, and slowly pulled a bit of bread out of her cloak, smiling at the sudden look of interest in those eyes. She held the bit out toward the figure.

"Its alright." She said. "You can have it."

Tenatively, a hand reached out from the figure, the arm and fingers so thin and wirey that Ursa could have counted the veins in them had she wanted to, and closed around the bread. The arm and face disappeared back into the shadows, and the quiet sounds of chewing floated out.

"Thank you." The hoarse voice said shortly after.

Ursa nodded. "Of course."

The face reappeared, the eyes seeming slightly less glazed. "I don't mean to be rude, mistress, but why?"

"Why what?" Ursa asked curiously.

"You. You are Ursa, wife of Ozai?"

"You know me." Ursa stated, slightly surprised.

"Yes. Of course. Why would _you_ help _me_?"

"Should I not?" Ursa asked, tilting her head to get a better view of the face. "Have you done something wrong?"

"No, mistress. I mean no disrespect, but. . .I am only a commoner."

Ursa smiled. "Ah. I was a commoner before I married Ozai," She said, "And where would the royal family be if not for the commoners?"

"I don't understand."

"Don't worry about it. Do you have a name?"

"Yes." The figure said softly. "Marah."

"Marah." Ursa repeated. "Well, Marah, will you still be here tomorrow?"

Marah laughed cynically. "I wasn't planning on it, but what the heck."

Ursa pursed her lip, feeling slightly disturbed by the insinuations of that particular sentance, and rose to her feet. "I'll bring you more food tomorrow." She promised.

Marah nodded and retreated back into the shadows.


	2. Book One: Part Two

Ursa carried a small basket filled with breads, cheeses, meats, and even a couple of small pasteries in one hand, and a torch in the other, as she slid down the bank beside the bridge. Twice she nearly lost her footing on the slippery edge of the stream before coming to the dug out cavern that was her aim. As she had the previous night, she dropped her torch among the fire wood and let the light cast its shadows before finding Marah's still form.

"Marah?" She asked softly. "Are you awake?"

A noise of affirmation came from one of the darker shadows and Ursa smiled.

"Will you come out now?" She asked.

There was no answer.

"I've brought a basket of food." Ursa coaxed.

Marah's head came up and she eyed the basket warily.

"See?" Ursa knelt beside the fire and began pulling food out of the basket.

Hesitantly, Marah drew nearer, not coming out of the shadows, but moving enough for Ursa to tell that she was much too thin. Her hand closed around a hunk of cheese before disappearing back into the shadows.

Ursa smiled at her small victory.

_X x X_

Over the course of the next month, Ursa learned more and more about Marah. She brought her food every night. Sometimes they talked, other times they did not. Gradually, Marah grew healthier, to the point that Ursa stopped worrying that she was dead. She began to bring Marah books, after learning that she was a quick study, and they were usually returned the next night, no matter how long. Some nights they would amuse each other playing word games, and games with bits of wood and metal.

Ursa found herself liking the girl more and more, and even began thinking of her as a sort of surgurate daughter. Azula had certainly never been this receptive. But still, Marah refused to come completely out of the shadows.

_X x X_

"Come now, Marah, why won't you come out of there?" Ursa sighed.

There was no answer, as there always was when she asked the question.

"Please, child, come near the fire." She coaxed, attempting a new approach.

To her surprise, Marah laughed. "Child? Am I truelly that small, mistress?" She asked. "I'm sorry, mistress, it isn't funny. But I am twenty-six years old. I am not a child."

"Oh. I didn't-"

"Don't worry, mistress. You couldn't have known."

"You could tell me?" Ursa suggested.

"No." Marah said softly. "I couldn't."

The next day she joined Ursa by the fire. The week after she allowed Ursa to brush her hair and replace her clothes. Over time, Ursa learned that Marah's father, husband, and only son had been killed it the war. It did nothing to curb her disapproval of the war in general.

_X x X_

When she thought that Marah was well versed enough, and dressed presentably, she offered her a position in her service.

"Me, mistress? Serving you?" Marah asked.

"Yes." Ursa said.

"Your hospitality is astounding, mistress."

Ozai never said a word to her about the addition to the servants, and Ursa never brought it up. Marah never went near the children, and though Ursa could understand why, she was always saddened by it.


End file.
